Two retired generals and an admiral denounce his leadership -- and say he's protected by a handpicked ring of high-ranking yes men. In mid-April, under fire from a half-dozen retired U.S. generals for broad failures in Iraq, the Bush White House dispatched Donald Rumsfeld to the front lines of the American heartland. The secretary of defense appeared on talk radio host Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated show to fight back against the decorated military commanders who called for his resignation."The sharper the criticism comes, sometimes the sharper the defense comes from people who don't agree with the critics," Rumsfeld told Limbaugh during the April 17 interview. He dismissed the barrage of reproach, suggesting that "the same kinds of criticism" had come and gone during all major American wars, from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam. "This, too, will pass," Rumsfeld said.... http://service.spiegel.de

U.S.-led coalition warplanes bombed a suspected Taliban camp in southern Afghanistan, killing three insurgents. Five more militants and one policeman died in a gunbattle nearby, officials said Tuesday. The aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles and dropped one bomb late Monday on the camp in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province, killing three Taliban militants while another fled, a military statement said. About 50 Taliban militants raided a police checkpoint late Monday in the nearby mountainous insurgent stronghold of Miana Shien district, about 50 miles north of Kandahar, local official Shabi Khan said. The gunfight continued into Tuesday, leaving five Taliban and one policeman dead, Khan said. Two policeman also were wounded before the militants fled on foot into the mountains. ...http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1887952

The UN Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution to impose sanctions against four Sudanese nationals accused of crimes in Darfur. The four include two rebel leaders, a former Sudanese airforce commander, and a leader of a pro-government militia, accused of widespread atrocities. In Darfur itself, a BBC correspondent has found evidence of continuing attacks on civilians by militias. More than 2m people have fled three years of violence in Darfur. Last week, the top UN aid official said the humanitarian situation in Darfur was as bad as when the conflict came to the world's attention in 2004. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4942026.stm

Panama has announced an ambitious $5.3bn (£2.9bn) plan to widen its famous canal to handle a new generation of giant container ships. President Martin Torrijos described the project as a "formidable challenge" but necessary if the canal is to retain its place as a key route for global cargo. The plan is due to be put to a national referendum later this year. Polls suggest the majority of voters back the project, which is set to create several thousands jobs. In a televised speech, Mr Torrijos said the plan was, "the most important decision about the canal and its role in the 21st century". The 80km (50-mile) canal links the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and plays a vital role in global trade. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4941126.stm

Zimbabwe has announced a huge increase in the cost of health care at public hospitals, as it grapples with the world's highest inflation rate. Public hospitals fees have gone up from Z$300 to between Z$800,000 and Z$1m (US$10) with immediate effect, the state-owned Herald newspaper reported. The costs of consultations, maternity services, surgery and intensive care are also increasing. The government says the rises will help pay for improved care. The 333,200% increases come a month after the government lifted a freeze on private health care charges, which have since doubled. Correspondents say the old fees of Z$300 were no longer practical, as $100 notes have become virtually worthless and disappeared from circulation. Deputy Health Minister Dr Edwin Muguti told The Herald that people were going to hospitals if they had colds because the fees were so low. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4942694.stm

An independent audit into how the University of California system pays its leaders found administrators kept some details of compensation packages from the public and its own governing board. The audit released Monday follows published reports that UC quietly paid millions in bonuses and other benefits beyond executives' publicly reported salaries at a time when student fees were going up due to state funding cuts. The revelations, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, have prompted legislative hearings and a number of investigations. The PricewaterhouseCoopers audit conducted at the request of UC regents looked at compensation over a 10-year period for 32 top management positions. ...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1887588